Monday, May 28, 2012

Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi said in his dictionary of terms from the introduction to his tafsir:

“Taqwa’s meaning is fear, clinging to obedience to Allah, and abandoning disobedience to Him. It is the sum of all good.”

And in his commentary, he said:

Concerning its benefits derived from the Qur’an, and they are thirteen:

1.Guidance, because of His words:“guidance for the muttaqin (the people of taqwa)” (2:2);

2.Help, because of His words:“Truly, Allah is with the people who have taqwa“ (2:194);

3.Close Friendship [with Allah], because of His words:“Allah is the close friend of the muttaqin“ (45:19);

4.Love, because of His words:“Truly Allah loves the muttaqin“ (3:76");

5.Covering over [of wrong actions], because of His words:“If you have taqwa of Allah He will make for you a discrimination and He will cover over for you your wrong actions”;

6.A way out from unhappiness, and provision from where one does not expect, because of His words: “Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will make a way out for him and provide him from where he does not expect” (65:2-3);

7.Facilitation of affairs, because of His words:“Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will make ease for him in his affair” ( 65: 4);

8.Full covering over of wrong actions and magnification of rewards, because of His words: “Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will cover over his wrong actions and magnify a reward for him” (65:5);

9.Acceptance of actions, because of His words:“Allah only accepts from the people of taqwa“ (5:27");

10.Success, because of His words:“Have taqwa of Allah in order that you might succeed” (3:200);

11.Good news, because of His words: “For them [i.e. people of taqwa] there is good news in this world and in the next” (10:64);

12.Entrance into the Garden, because of His words:“Truly, there are for the people of taqwa with their Lord Gardens of bliss” (3:133);

13.Salvation from the Fire, because of His words:“Then We will save the ones who had taqwa“ (19:72).

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Bismillah
(What follows are some of the comments of Sayyid al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah preserve him)[1] on the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), courtesy of Ustadh Amin Buxton (Allah preserve and increase him and his teachers):“If any one of you wakes up with a healthy body, in a state of safety, possessing his day’s provision it is as if he possesses the whole world and everything in it.”[2]

“This is a message from the speech of the one who does not speak from his own caprice. If you receive this message you will save yourself from numerous problems which befall the people of this world. Those that do not accept truths such as this live their lives as prisoners of their illusions. Iblis and his troops from among men and jinn strive to make people compete in amassing worldly possessions. As a result of this much corruption is spread.“If any one of you wakes up with a healthy body” – praise be to Allah, all of us have healthy bodies. Allah bless us with continuous health and well-being.“In a state of safety” – day and night we move about from place to place in safety. Where did this safety come from?“Possessing his day’s provision” – which one of us does not possess any provision? Which one of us is clutching his stomach out of hunger, unable to find even a single date to eat?Great wealth – in excess of a day’s provision – will only be of harm to those who possess it as they will have to account for it in this life and the next.They used to say: “If all you want from this worldly life is what suffices you then a small amount will suffice you. However, if you want more than what suffices you then everything that the world contains will not suffice you.” As the hadith states: “Had the son of Adam possessed a valley of gold he would only wish for another, and had he had another he would wish for a third. The only thing that will fill his stomach is earth and Allah will turn to the one who turns to Him.”[3]This is one of the realities that the Best of Creation spoke of: “If any one of you wakes up with a healthy body, in a state of safety, possessing his day’s provision it is as if he possesses the whole word and everything in it.”He spoke the truth – his companions were the kings of this life and the next, may Allah be pleased with them, and often they did not even possess a day’s provision!”
—-
[1] Lesson in Ihya’ `Ulum al-Din, Dar al-Mustafa, Dhu’l-Qa`dah 1432/October 2011
[2] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
[3] Narrated by Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi

Taken from http://abdulkarimyahya.com/2011/11/08/advice-possessing-a-little-is-possessing-everything/

Friday, May 11, 2012

1 - To earn the pleasure of Allah SWT.“Whoever Allaah SWT wants good for, He gives him fiqh (understanding) of the Deen.” [Bukhari]

2 - To gain entry into Jannah.“Whoever traverses a path in order to gain knowledge, then Allaah SWT will make the path to Jannah easy for him.” [Tirmidhi]

3 - To gain higher ranks.“Allaah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge…” [Al-Quran 58:11]“Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allaah’s Signs and Verses).” [Al-Quran 39:9]

4 - To gain forgiveness of Allah SWT.“Allaah SWT would say at the end of the gathering of those who gathered to gain knowledge, ‘Get up! You have been forgiven.’ The angels would say ‘O Allaah SWT there was a servant of yours who only came to that gathering because of a need – he only wanted a person in that gathering.’ Allaah SWT would respond ‘I have forgiven him as well.’” [Bukhari]

5 - To gain true fear of Allah SWT.“…It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah…” [Al-Quran 35:28]

6 - To gain great reward.Whoever comes to a masjid and he did not come to the masjid except with the intention that he would learn something good or teach something good, he will be given the reward of someone who performed hajj.” [At-Tabrani]

“By Allah, if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

7 - To gain Allah’s mercy and peace in one’s life.“There is not a people who gather in a house from the houses of Allaah SWT (a masjid) to recite the Book of Allaah SWT or study it except that calmness will descend upon them and mercy would cover them and they would be surrounded by the angels and Allaah SWT will mention them with good to those near to Him.” [Muslim]

8 - To gain the inheritance of Rasulullah (upon him blessings and peace).“The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.” [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]“Young men will come to you seeking knowledge, and comprehending religion, and learning from you: if they come to you teach them, and be kind to them, and make space for them in your circles, an explain Hadith to them.” Therefore, Abu Sa’id used to say to us: “Greetings to the Messenger of Allah’s recommendation, the Messenger of Allah (SAAW) ordered us to make a space for you in our circles, and explain Hadith to you.” [Jami’]

9 - To earn a special and lofty position in the eyes of Allah SWT and in Islam.“Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?’ It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.” [Al Quran 39:9]“The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness).” [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]A learned one is as much above an (ordinary) worshiper as I am above the least of you; and he added: Allah, His angels and all those in the heavens and in the earth, even the ants in their holes and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficent knowledge.” [Tirmidhi]“Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]“He who does not respect our elders, and does not have mercy on our children, and does not honor our scholars, is not of my Ummah.” [Ahmad, Tabarani, Hakim, Mukhtasarat-Targhib, Jami’]“You should be a scholar, or a student, or a listener, or a lover of ‘Ilm and scholars, and you should not be the fifth which makes you perish. ‘Ata’ said, Mis’ar said to me: You added a fifth point which we do not have. The fifth point is: To hate ‘Ilm and its people.” [Tabarani, Bazzar]

10 - To be a source of guidance for other and to convey the message of Islam to others.“Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]“Convey from me even an Ayah [of the Qur'an].” [Bukhari]“May Allah brighten [the face of] a person who hears a hadith from us, and reports it as he heard it, because many people which the hadith is reported to, perceive it better than the one who reported it to them.” [Ibn Hibban]

11 - To know the commandments of Allah SWT.“Seeking ‘Ilm (knowledge) is incumbant on every Muslim.” [Ibn Majah]

12 - To earn the reward of those who are guided by you.He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.” [Bukhari]

13 - To gain tremendous benefit.“Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favour of those who teach people knowledge.” [Tirmidhi]The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]“Anyone who comes to this mosque of ours in order to learn a good thing, or to teach it, is equal to the Mujahid in the path of Allah, and whoever comes for anything else, he is like a man who looks at other people’s belongings.” [Ibn Majah, Mawariduz-Zam’an]“O Abu Dharr! If you learn one verse from The Book of Allah (The Quran), it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one hundred rak’as (units of prayer), and if you learn a category of knowledge (religion), regardless if it is applied or not, it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one thousand rak’as.” [Ibn Majah, Mukhtasarut-Targhib wattarhib, Ihya ‘Ulumidden]“When you pass by the meadows of Paradise indulge freely in it! They said: O Messenger of Allah! What are the meadows of Paradise? He said: The circles of ‘Ilm.” [Tabarani, Al-Mu’jamal Kabir]“People are of substances like the substance of gold and silver: the best among them in the Jahiliyah , are the best in Islam, if they gain knowledge, and the souls are hosts which are sent around, the similar ones get acquainted, and from the different ones depart from each other.” [Muslim, Riyadhus-Salihin]

14 - Because the Ummah needs you!“Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars stays alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

15 - It is Fard Kifaayah.“And the believers should not all go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may guard themselves against evil.”[Al-Quran 9:122]

16 - To serve the Deen of Allah SWT.“He who leaves his home in order to seek knowledge, he is in Allah’s path until he returns [to his home].” [Tirmidhi, Riyadhus-Salaheen]

17 - To protect and defend the Deen of Allah SWT.“The most honest men of future generations will carry this ‘Ilm (i.e. Hadith), they will purify it from the falsification of the extremists, and the assumptions of the liars, and the misinterpretation of the fools.” [Sharaf Ashabul-Hadith, Tabrizi, Mishkat Al-Masabih]

18 - To protect oneself from the tricks of Shaytan.“One Faqih (Someone learned in Religious matters) is stronger against Shaytan than a thousand worshippers.” [Tirmidhi]

19 - To be amongst those who truly attest to Allah SWT’s Oneness.“There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise.” [Al-Quran 3:18]

20 - To gain reward even after death.“When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous decendant who prays for him (for the deceased).” [Muslim]

" Seventy thousand persons
of my Ummat will enter Jannat without Hisaab (accountability). These are those people
who do not indulge in incantation (magical formulas-mantar etc.) and do not
take ill omen and trust in their Cherisher (Allah)." (Bukhari
and Muslim)

REALlTY
OF TAWAKKAL AND CORRECTION OF MISTAKES

A
misunderstanding:

These days Tawakkal is
generally believed to mean that, you sit down (in isolation) after leaving all
the efforts (Asbaab). This meaning is completely wrong. All the Aayat
of the Qur'an and the Ahaadith are full of affirmations in favour of
endeavour and exertion (Tadbeer and Asbaab), so, Tawakkal can never have this meaning. Even
if one gets something to eat from somewhere without making a personal effort, then
still does he not have to even make effort to put it into the mouth and chew
it, and does he not have to make an effort
to even swallow it? These all are also Asbaab and Tadabeer of
obtaining food, then where is the Tawakkal?. With this (meaning), this
inference becomes mandatory that uptill now no Nabi or Wali has
had Tawakkal. Who can believe such an inference!

THE NATURE OF TAWAKKAL

Reposing implicit trust of the heart in
only the Creator is called tawakkal.

The meaning of tawakkal is expressed
by the term taukeel (to make or appoint a wakeel or a counselor, agent,
representative). When one lacks the understanding and ability for something
then another is appointed to execute the task. Such appointment of an agent to
act on one's behalf is the meaning of taukeel. For example, a person hires a
lawyer to fight a legal case and then he leaves altogether to follow the case,
but despite this he thinks that his success in the court case depends upon the
capability, eloquence and the efforts of his lawyer, he does not attribute it
to his own efforts and endeavours. Exactly same should be thought in this case
of Tawakkal that one should
undertake all Asbaab and Tadbeer, within the limits Shari 'ah, but
should not consider them as effective by themselves. One should believe that
his work can get accomplished only by the order and the grace of Allah and
infact the effectiveness of any endeavor is only due to the order (and will) of
Allah. Man has not even the least
concern with it. For example, the seed has been sown in the field. This is its Tadbeer.
However, to get rains at proper time, the growth of seedling and its
protection from natural calamities are not in man's authority. So it is obligatory to believe that the
success is the result of grace of Allah and this is Tawakkal.

Tawakkal then is to act in accordance with Allah's Scheme i.e. to adopt
the principles and laws of the Shari'at, and to resign one's self unto Him. In
every act or task, the means required for the task will be employed within the
confines of the Shari'at and one's trust will be placed in Allah Ta'ala.

THE
FUNDAMENTALS (ARKAAN) OF TAWAKKAL

Tawakkal has three fundamental
principles: Ma'rifat, Haalat and Amal.

MA'RIFAT (understanding) :

This consists of Tauheed of Allah Ta'ala which means: Besides Allah
there is no object of worship; He is Incomparable; He has no partner; All
sovereignty belongs to Him ; All praise and glory belongs to Him; He has power
over all things. This conception of Tauheed acknowledges that Allah Ta'ala possesses
such perfect power and wisdom which make Him worthy of all praise and glory.
Sincere and honest belief in this conception of Tauheed grounds true Imaan in
the heart. The effect of Imaan grounding
itself in the heart is Tawakkal. The condition essential for achieving this
tawakkal is sincere acknowledgment of Tauheed. The meaning of sincere
acknowledgment is that this Tauheed pervades the heart so much that there
remains no room in one's heart to entertain any other concept.

HAALAT (State):

The Haal (inner state) of Tawakkal is to resign oneself to Allah Ta'ala.
Assign all affairs to Him and maintain
the heart in the state of peace and tranquillity. It envisages diversion
from all and everything other than Allah Ta'ala. Upon Allah Ta'ala being made
the Wakeel one resigns in full confidence. Allah Ta'ala, the Wakeel is full of
Wisdom and is the Benefactor and Protector of the one who has reposed tawakkal
in him. There is therefore no need for the heart to toss in doubt and
uncertainty. He will not allow your enemy to vanquish you. In this way when one
fully realizes that rizq (sustenance), maut (death), hayaat (life) and all
affairs of creation are within the direct power and control of Allah Ta'ala,
then there is absolutely no cause for the heart to labour in uncertainty and
suffer any lack of confidence.

AMAL (Action) :

The ignorant labour under the misconception that Tawakkal entails
abstention from effort, the means and material agencies. This idea of tawakkal
is highly erroneous.
Tawakkal does not advocate shunning or abstaining from the material agencies
which Allah Ta'ala has created and made subservient to man. Shunning the
legitimate use of the material means and agencies for legitimate purposes and
needs is not lawful according to the Shari'at.

ACQUIRING TAWAKKAL

The way to acquire Tawakkal is by contemplating the bounties of Allah
Ta'ala, His Promises and one's past success.

Anxiety due to uncertainity is not against Tawakkal:

Whenever people face some natural
anxiety as regards to obtaining of their subsistence, it’s not due to their lack
of trust in the promise of Allah but the cause of this anxiety is that the
methods and the time of success are not defined. Undefined (and uncertain) situation
naturally begets anxiety.

Karamat vs Tawakkal:

Some people of Tawakkal (Muta-
Wakkileen) have been granted things without putting any effort (without
asbaab). This is Karamat (Miracle) which is not from mandatory
manifestations of Tawakkal and is not included in the Haqiqat (reality)
of Tawakkal. Understand it properly.

(Taken From Furu-ul-Iman and Shariah
and Tariqah by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi R.A.)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Haritha
R.A. , “Harithah, how are you this morning?” He said, “This morning I have
become a true mumin.” He said, “Think about what you are saying! Because every
statement has a reality.” He said, “Messenger of Allah, my self dislikes the
world, so that it is sleepless at night and thirsty in the day, and it is as if
I am gazing upon the Throne of my Lord appearing, and it is as if I am gazing
upon the people of the Garden in the Garden and how they visit each other in
it, and as if I am gazing upon the people of the Fire and how they howl in it.”
He said, “You have seen, so remain firm. [You are] a slave whom Allah has
illuminated the iman in his heart.” (Tabarani
in al-Kabeer)

Imam Ibn Rajab
al-Hanbali says in Jami’ al-’Ulum wa’l-Hikam in the Commentary on the Second
Hadith : “The famous hadith of Harithah has been narrated in various ways, in
some of which it is mursal [attributed to the Prophet but without the
connecting link of the person among the Followers who narrated it from the
Companion] and also with a full chain of transmission, but the mursal form is more authentic.

(In Kanz al-’Ummal,
the hadith is ascribed to Anas, may
Allah be pleased with him, and is from Ibn
‘Asakir, al-’Askari in al-Amthal, and Ibn
an-Najjar. Al-Haythami in Majma’
az-Zawa’id ascribes it to al-Bazzar
narrating from Anas and at-Tabarani in
al-Kabeer who narrates it from al-Harith ibn Malik himself. And Allah knows best. -Shaykh Abdus Samad Clark)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

“But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah Ta’ala a sound heart”. (26:89)

How can a heart become illumined when it has been penetrated by worldly wealth, worldly reputation, offspring, property, idle thoughts and false hopes? When the darkness of the phantoms is dispelled from the heart, Noor will then settle in the heart.The heart which night and day is fettered in the chains of nafsaani desires, thinking only of food, garments and wives, cannot advance towards Allah Ta'ala because its feet are tied with chains. The heart which has not been cleansed of the impurities of neglect (ghaflat) and perpetually dwells in negligence, having forgotten the akhirat, cannot enter into the lofty Divine Presence. How can such a heart be granted acceptance in such a pure Court? Just as an impure (napaak) person is not permitted entry into a Musjid, so too is a heart which has not been purified of the impurities of ghaflat denied entry into the Divine Presence. Such a heart is not granted Divine Acceptance. The heart which is engrossed in despicable acts, futility and baseless hopes cannot entertain the desire to comprehend the mysteries and subtleties of Allah Ta'ala. When it has repented of its futility, then only will it be endowed with the ability to understand Divine Mysteries. -Ikmalus Shiyam, commentary on the Hikam